I am just a lover of the man and all that he represented - The great environmentalist and creative - Cesar Manrique - Father and Son of Lanzarote

Life ended for the great maestro Cesar Manrique on the 25th September, 1992, in a fatal car accident, on his beloved island of birth, Lanzarote. This catastrophic event could arguably be blamed on a quirk of fate, an act of god, destiny, or any other rationalisation of unanticipated tragedy which helps us to try to make sense of the unimaginable. Although there are some who believe this tragic turn of events had been prescient in the great artist’s mind for many years, as he completed his day’s work in the foundation in Tahiche and headed north to his home and studio in Haria, just before sundown.

Manrique left the Cesar Manrique Foundation and drove for less than a few hundred metres, before the tragic car crash occurred. For the first time in many years, his beloved Turkish driver, had decided to take a holiday to Turkey and Cesar had not found a replacement for the week his chauffeur was away. Cesar entered a lane from the roundabout adjacent to the Foundation - a roundabout he always claimed would take someone’s life and collided head on with another vehicle. To this day, details are blurred as to who was at fault and conjecture continues. It was near impossible that Cesar could have been going at any great speed. The beloved Lanzarotenan, Cesar Manrique, often called the Creator of Lanzarote, was pronounced dead when he arrived at the city hospital in Arrecife, a matter of minutes away from the scene of the crash. He was 73 years old.

It was common knowledge among all who knew him that Cesar hated to drive, had a fear of dying in a car crash and always employed a driver. Yet on this fateful day, perhaps against his better judgement, he was at the driving wheel of his Jaguar.

Speculation of a heart attack?

On September 25, 1992, a day like any other, César Manrique set out from his foundation in Taro Tahiche, Teguise, to his other residence in Haría. He traveled approximately 50 meters to reach the intersection that would lead him to his destination. Unfortunately, this short journey didn't go as planned. A car hit the artist's vehicle, causing Manrique's death when he became trapped between the body of his Jaguar.

This traffic accident shocked the art world and the entire population of Lanzarote. César Manrique left behind several unfinished works, incomplete projects, and countless ideas that never saw the light of day. The artist had revolutionized the island of Lanzarote in every way, from its recognition outside the archipelago to among the Canarian public.

Lanzarote wasn't the only setting in which the artist expressed his art, but it was the most representative. Anyone who has visited the island of volcanoes has observed that Manrique's spirit is in every one of its towns and every one of its beaches. After living in places like Madrid and New York, he returned to his homeland with the aim of giving it the place it deserves.

Jameos del Agua was the first resort built by Manrique. Photo: G. López

"The love of art and nature"

Manrique created works that intensified the value of the island itself, respecting every part of it. "César Manrique integrated himself into the territory, even camouflaged himself within it," explains Francisco José Galante, director of the César Manrique Cultural Chair at the University of La Laguna (ULL) . The artist defended the importance of native nature above all else; his priority was always Lanzarote. "Manrique's concept of life was linked to nature. It was an important issue," he continues.

Alfredo Díaz, head of the  César Manrique Foundation 's pedagogical department , asserts that the artist conveyed a clear message: "a love of art and nature." Díaz believes that the artist's approach was based on the environment as a model and artistic use as a representation of its essence. "He sought beauty in the unique values ​​of each place on the planet," he adds.

Taro Tahiche, headquarters of the César Manrique Foundation. Photo: G. López

According to the professor, Manrique's work is collaborative because behind his innovative ideas was a team that made them a reality. "Everything is the fruit of a project that was able to offer the image of a new island, guided by the concept of beauty," he explains. He adds that "there is a connection between art and life in Manrique's work." He goes on to clarify that "his work evokes emotion thanks to this concept of the sublime, the approach to the landscape. His work is in the depths of the earth."

However, despite the work César Manrique carried out in Lanzarote to enhance its relevance to the people of Lanzarote and the rest of the world, has his identity and ideology remained the same over the past three decades?

"That tourist distinction that standardizes, alters, and nullifies the unique essence of the landscape and its inhabitants."

During that time, Lanzarote was experiencing a significant economic deficit. These were difficult times for the island's citizens. Alfredo Díaz states that "Manrique understood that tourism could lift Lanzarote out of its centuries-old poverty." However, he emphasizes that he was very clear that not just any kind of tourism was acceptable. By this, Díaz refers to "that tourist distinction that standardizes, alters, and nullifies the unique essence of the landscape and its inhabitants."

According to María José Alcántara, Director of Art and Cultural Production at the  Lanzarote Centers for Art, Culture, and Tourism (CACT) , "he saw the possibility that the island could improve and attract visitors." She also reiterated that "Manrique knew how to focus his vision on the landscape, the territory, and nature."

Francisco José Galante also explains that Lanzarote was a marginalized island, where work was scarce and many people had to emigrate to other territories. "Manrique saw that the island had tourism potential. He saw it clearly and he did it," Galante emphasizes.

"We must differentiate that tourism from that of today. It wasn't massive," the professor clarifies. He clarifies that this sector was conceived for an island that was practically based on a subsistence economy. "This later developed, that is, tourism development was authorized," Galante clarifies. However, he states that "Manrique didn't suspect that this boost in the sector would eat into that project."

"The tourism that exists today isn't limited to Lanzarote, but everywhere, and is a product of globalization and a completely outdated and obsolete capitalist system," believes the ULL professor. He adds that this sector "is of interest to the current authorities, to political systems," due to the substantial profits it generates on the island.

"Manrique saw the development of this sector as an opportunity as long as its natural and cultural heritage was not jeopardized," Alfredo Díaz argues. He also clarifies that, between 1964 and 1984, "the island enjoyed controlled and very responsible tourism growth." However, he adds that "from that moment on, growth spiraled out of control, and Lanzarote began to lose its essence."

The Foundation's educational director clarifies that "the island continues to resist, but only from an aesthetic point of view, as the contradictions are many."

Video exhibited at the César Manrique Foundation, Tahiche, Teguise. Photo: G. López

"Legacy is important from an intangible perspective."

Pedro Hernández, professor of the Tourism degree program at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC) , believes that "today, Manrique's legacy is important from an intangible perspective, from the perspective of inspiration." Furthermore, he clarifies that, in this sense, "Manrique inspires new generations to mobilize if we want to defend the islands' development model against politics."

One example is the recent tourism demonstrations on April 20th, when Canarian citizens took to the streets to demand a change in the provincial model for this sector.

Likewise, María José Alcántara, Director of Art and Cultural Production at the Lanzarote Cultural Center (CACT), comments that everything changes over time. "It's very difficult for us to maintain today, in the 21st century, what was possible in the 20th century," she believes. Alcántara explains that "things are getting more complicated because of political and business interests." However, she asserts that "increasingly, both politicians and businesspeople are becoming aware of this."

Alfredo Díaz believes that Manrique "left behind the most important architectural heritage in Lanzarote." He believes that responsible development is possible "when the natural and cultural heritage is respected, the uniqueness of places is fostered, and when we take into account that every territory has its limits." Otherwise, he points out, "chaos is inevitable."

Francisco Galante explains that "Manrique was barely recognized during his lifetime." He even adds that "his work was recognized in the Canary Islands only after his death." He also emphasizes that "it is now, more than 30 years after Manrique's death, that people are realizing the need for the artist." Although he believes that "some politicians are using him as an object, not a motive."

Life after death

Manrique's legacy faces challenges in the current context. The tourism development he promoted to lift Lanzarote out of poverty has evolved, sometimes in ways that contradict his principles of sustainability and respect for the environment. Alfredo Díaz, from the Pedagogical Department of the César Manrique Foundation, and other experts such as Pedro Hernández and María José Alcántara, emphasize that the island has experienced uncontrolled tourism growth since the mid-1980s, eroding its original essence.

Despite these challenges, Manrique's spirit lives on, inspiring new generations to champion a development model that reconciles progress with the preservation of natural and cultural heritage. Recent demonstrations in the Canary Islands reflect a reawakening of awareness about the importance of preserving Manrique's legacy in the face of economic and political interests.

Three decades after his death, recognition of Manrique, his work, and his ideology has grown, although, as Galante points out, much of this recognition has come posthumously. The artist's work, described as a symbiosis between art and nature, stirs profound emotions and continues to serve as a guide for how development can and should respect the natural and cultural limits of a territory. However, the struggle to maintain his legacy and vision in an increasingly globalized and consumerist world remains a constant battle.

César Manrique not only left an indelible mark on the landscape of Lanzarote and the Canary Islands, but also bequeathed a model of sustainable development that remains relevant and necessary today. His work and vision remind us that true progress lies in finding a balance between growth and preserving what makes us unique.